A New Vampire
by ReiEdogawa
Summary: What happens when a person is unintentionally changed into a vampire and the humans find him? Meet Nico. His life just ended, his human life that is. Now he has to adjust to a world he doesn't understand and the life undead isn't all that it is cracked up to be, especially when someone finds you, when you're supposed to be dead.
1. Chapter 1

A Twilight Fanfic

By Rei Edogawa

Copyrighted to Rei Edogawa. Do not take and redistribute.

I was visiting Seattle when my life changed forever. I was walking in an alley when I heard footsteps approaching rapidly. I didn't have time to react. I found myself trapped up against the wall and a sharp pain in my neck.

I tried to scream, but couldn't. I was losing consciousness when I was suddenly released and fell to the floor. I was blacking out when the pain hit me. It kept me at the surface, between awake and blissful release. It slowly spread all over me. Before I knew it I was screaming and writhing in agony.

When I finally opened my eyes it was daylight. The pain had spread throughout my body. I must have been out for hours. A paramedic team arrived, someone had called them. They tried to find a vein, but couldn't. They didn't know what was wrong with me and just decided to take me in.

At the hospital the doctors were baffled. No needle could pierce my skin, so they couldn't give me pain meds. They tried to do several x-rays but found that the films came out blank. No needles meant no blood work, and they didn't know what to do for me.

I writhed in pain for days. Finally they put me in an isolation room far from any other patients because they couldn't help me and I was disturbing the others with my screams. I had settled into a state of extreme pain where I felt it all yet endured it. I heard the doctors saying that it was only a matter of time. Whatever was affecting me was going to kill me and they might find out more answers after the autopsy.

I knew something was changing. My heart felt hotter and began to beat faster. The pain had started to recede. When the pain started to recede even more quickly, I began to believe I would survive. I felt stronger than ever and ready to take on the world, but then my heart began to beat as fast as a helicopter and the machine went wild.

Doctors chose to ignore me because nothing had changed. They couldn't do a thing for me. So they waited for the inevitable. My heart began to stutter, slow and finally stop as the pain disappeared completely. I lay absolutely still for the longest time, not even breathing as for the first time in days I felt nothing.

But I was still alive. The thought crossed my mind. Was this what being dead was like. My heart wasn't beating and I felt nothing. I hoped not because being trapped in a coffin, aware like this was the worst thing imaginable.

So I decided to take a breath and to my amazement, I did. However I immediately regretted it. My throat began to burn as I smelled the most wonderful smell. Quietly I stood up and approached the tantalizing smell, unhooking the wires from my chest as I went.

The scent was coming from an elderly worker who was the only one in the room with me. I could see everything in amazing detail, but my eyes were on the person in front of me.

"It's you," I whispered.

The man whipped around and I struck. It was on pure instinct. My mouth was on his throat and biting into his skin like butter. His blood filled my mouth and I drank it down. His blood was the most wonderful thing I had ever tasted in my life. It soothed the burn of my throat and made me feel stronger.

He couldn't make a noise and tried to claw me away, but his nails had no effect. A bitter taste was now mixed in with his blood. I knew it was some sickness, instinctively, and that it would have no effect on me. When he was dry, I pushed him away in horror at what I had just done. I heard voices coming down the hall and I just ran.

The world slowed down as I ran as fast as I could. They were all stone still as I raced passed, too fast for them to acknowledge. I took off through the city at this pace, heading east. In what seemed like minutes I was in the woods climbing the mountains around the city like it was nothing.

I raced on and on for a while. When it seemed I was far enough away and no one was around I stopped to assess what had happened to me. I couldn't get my head around it. I was a murderer and apparently had a bizarre desire to drink human blood, I ran faster than people could see, stronger than ever, and more endurable than anything had seen before. His nails left no scratch on me.

About this time I realized I was naked. The hospital had put me into one of their gowns and it hadn't survived my mad jaunt into the woods.

"Just perfect," I said.

At that moment, I realized I wasn't alone. A woman with a short pixie hairstyle was standing there between two trees, just staring at me. I didn't want to kill her too so I ran again. What really freaked me out is that she was just as fast.

I yelled, "LEAVE ME ALONE!" and struck out at her. She wasn't there anymore and I stumbled. I found her again a second later and this time struck out at her differently. By instinct I reached out with my mind and overwhelmed hers. It was difficult, but I managed to instill fear and panic in her at the sight of me.

She ran in one direction and I ran in the other. Then I ran into a man. This one tried to stop me too. I engaged his mind and found it far different than the woman's. He was in my head too, I realized and struck out at him when he was distracted the most. He went flying, and I went running.

I heard him yell out, "Bella, he's got some mind power. You're the only one who can stop him."

Then another woman showed up. I guessed it was his Bella, and tried to fight her like the others, but she just smirked at me and said, "Your mind games don't work on me, or him for that matter."

Next thing I knew I was on the floor as a very large man tackled me from behind and had me pinned. I knew it, I thought. I just knew I was going to die today.

Like it? Questions, Comments? Email me. reiedogawa


	2. Chapter 2

A New Vampire 2

Rei Edogawa

The first thing they did was wrap a robe about me. I was glad not to be naked anymore. I wondered how long they were going to wait before they killed me.

"We are not going to kill you," one of them said. "We're going to help you"

I was so confused that I really didn't believe them. They began to explain what I was and what the future had in store for me. I was a vampire. Stronger than steel and more durable. Faster than a speeding bullet and more dangerous than a gun.

My mind had no trouble comprehending what they were saying, I just didn't want to believe it.

"But how did you find me?" I asked. "And how did I get this way?"

"I can answer that," one of the girls said. "My name is Alice, and I am a clairvoyant. I saw what had happened to you and tried to get to you first, but wasn't able to. We tried to get you out of the hospital, but someone was always around. We moved you to the isolation wing in the hopes of moving you before the transformation was complete.

"We didn't expect for it to end so quickly. I didn't even see it. Our friend, Carlisle, was about to move you when it stopped. It is our fault for not getting you out of there sooner. You are not to blame for killing that man."

"So I really did kill him?" I whispered.

"Yes, but the fault lies with us, not you." She said. "We should have tried harder to move you. We should have just done it when they were moving you, but couldn't find a way to cover it up. I'm sorry."

I gathered myself together and said, "You still haven't told me who did this to me."

They sighed. Alice said, "Let's wait for you to talk to Carlisle about that. He'll explain it better than we could."

With that, they started introducing each other. Besides Alice, there was Edward, Bella, and Emmett. There were others at home; Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Jasper, Renesme, and Jacob. We walked at a slow pace as they explained their lives to me as vegetarian vampires and the family they had built.

Two years ago, Bella, as a human, gave birth to a half vampire daughter. She completed the change at the last minute and survived a rare phenomenon that had never been survived before. Then a group of vampires, whose job was to keep the secret at all costs had come believing they had broken the law. When it was proved to be false and Nessie was no danger, then they had left.

They were preparing to move away soon, in a year's time, to the other side of the country. I told them about me. I was from a lower middle class home in southwest Florida. I had come with my class to Seattle to participate in the National Decathlon. I was one of the top students in my school and had helped our school win third place. We weren't going to go to the international competition, but I had hoped that I would at least get some recognition for it.

I was sixteen years old and a junior in high school. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to go home. I didn't know what I was going to tell my family, and judging by the actions of the Volturi a few years ago, I wasn't going to tell the truth.

It had been over three days since I disappeared. The police were going to be up in arms over my disappearance. I just didn't know what to do.

They had a beautiful home back in the woods. It was so light and open. All my theories of what being a vampire were about were thrown to the wind. We could be out in daylight, but the sun exposed us for what we were anyway. Our skin sparkled like diamonds.

We never slept and while we did have to drink blood, after we gained control we could go over a week without hunting again. Carlisle explained this to me and more. He explained his history and decision. He explained the choice of his family, the cost and gains. I had a choice to make. It didn't take long for me to decide.

They took me hunting right after that and we had mixed results. I bagged a few deer, but the taste left a lot to be desired. This was going to take some time. I had borrowed some clothes from Jasper, and then found the true extent of my change.

I had always been a hefty guy. All the pudge and baby fat was gone. I was lean and ripped. I had the body of a supermodel. My hair was longer and shinier than before. It suited my new face. The eyes though were distracting. Ruby red and I still looked good. Alien, definitely, but good.

I had dreamed about losing the fat for years, but never had the willpower to go through with it. I liked to live comfortably. I knew then that this vegetarianism was going to be hard. But I knew that with one look at this family and what they had achieved, that this was what I wanted, and I was going to get it.


	3. Chapter 3

A New Vampire 3

Rei Edogawa

Time passes differently when you don't sleep. I never knew what it was to go day and night without tiring and to learn and do so much. Carlisle taught me about vampire culture, Emmett and Jasper taught me to fight, while Bella, Edward, and Alice taught me to harness my new gifts.

My mind was truly amazing. I could do what Edward did and read minds. I could shield it too like Bella, and I could control or change the minds of the people around me. I couldn't touch Bella's mind, which was good. I needed someone around to keep me in line. If I had wanted to, I could have torn through the house and Bella was the only one who could stop me. Not even Jacob's pack could do that. They tried.

For the first year, I was kept away from humans, and gradually reintroduced to them over the summer. I was the Cullen's new foster son. Now that all the 'kids' had grown up and moved out, Esme wanted another teen around. I was placed with them. That was the cover story anyway. I became Nico Cullen.

September came around and I joined Forks High. We were going to leave in December, but the exposure now to humans was beneficial to me. I never touched human blood after my first victim. Being around all those humans was a challenge, but every day that I survived without killing someone was a victory for me.

Carlisle finally told me who did this to me. He was a nomad that was making a nuisance of himself, becoming more public with his kills. They had been tracking him through the city when he attacked me. He had been going to kill me. I was glad to be spared that. Emmett apparently had come close to me, but thought I was dying and couldn't be saved. That is why he had left me there. I hit Emmett in the face for that one and knocked him across the river while doing it.

He apologized to me and I apologized to him. We got over it. I knew that he had been trying to save more lives, and he understood that I needed to hit him because he had left me there. We understood each other's motives and accepted them. We were friends again afterwards, though Rosalie was mad at me for weeks afterward.

One day in November over a year later, I headed home from school on a day like any other. I liked to run, but they insisted I drive the new Audi they bought for me. It was a fast car, but I liked to run. They were all generous. They gave me access to their money and I found it didn't matter what I took. They had millions just stashed around the house, not to mention the banks around the world and the stock markets they played. I was dumbfounded by it all.

I was thinking of last weekend when Alice and Rosalie decided out of the blue to take Nessie and me to Paris for shopping. It was a fun weekend. I spent thousands on new clothes because Alice didn't like the ones I had picked for myself. Before I had shopped at Walmart and Target because I didn't want to spend too much.

The trip had gotten rid of that idea. I wasn't completely comfortable with it, but I was getting used to it. I drove up to the house and found a rental car in the drive way. I wondered if it was the cousins from Denali, but didn't think so because they would never use a rental. I parked the car and went inside. I could hear shouting from outside, and when I went in I recognized the voice.

It was my mother.


	4. Chapter 4

A New Vampire 4

By Rei Edogawa

My mother was here in Forks. What was she doing here? I reached out with my mind and contacted Carlisle, whom she was yelling at.

_Carlisle, what is she doing here,_ I thought at him.

_She is looking for you, _he responded. _She hired a PI to search for you. Can you alter her mind? Make it so that she never found us._

I reached out to my mother. Caroline Mead was hysterical. She wanted her son back more than anything and this was the first real break she had come across. As I went through the memories looking at what I could change and alter, she became distracted. Her voice would change tone and falter mid-word.

As I delved deeper I became more and more dismayed. She hadn't just acted upon this information. She told everyone in case something happened to her. I needed to protect my family, both my old and new one. I thought fast and came up with a plan.

I filled Carlisle in and changed key moments in my mom's memory of her conversation with Carlisle. I then made my appearance.

She froze when she saw me. Tears that had been threatening to spill over came out in a flood. She launched herself at me and I had to adjust my body so that she wouldn't break something with all that force as she slammed into my hard body.

I caught her as she sobbed into my shoulder. I hated to do what I had to do, but she needed to be protected from me. I said, "I'm sorry, you look familiar. Do I know you?"

She froze against me. She looked into my eyes and said, "Nico? It's me, mom."

Carlisle interrupted then, "As I was telling you Mrs. Mead. We do have a young man here, but I couldn't tell you if he was your son. Nick here has had amnesia for the last year or so. They found him wandering the woods in a daze. He doesn't remember anything before then."

"Nico," I said. "Is that my name? It sounds right to me."

"Yes, it is," Mom said. "Dr. Cullen, can I please speak to you in the other room?"

"Of course," he said. "Nick, can you please go up to your room. We'll be up in a bit after we're done."

I didn't need to read his mind to know what he wanted. As soon as they left the room I raced out of the house to the house that Edward, Bella, and Nessie lived in. I needed their bed. I reached out to Edward and told him what was happening. When I reached the cottage, the bed was in pieces. Bella and Edward were picking up them up and were preparing to go up to the house with them.

In a flash we had the whole thing in my bedroom by leaping silently up to the third story. We rearranged the room and set up the bed. All the while we were listening to Carlisle tell the story of them taking me in and taking care of me, the extent of my amnesia, and their plans for the Future.

As they came up the stairs, I kicked Bella and Edward out and plugged in my headphones and opened a book. I was thus when they walked into my room.

As can be expected, Mom wanted me to come home with her. Carlisle was against it for obvious reasons, but she was adamant. I needed to come home with her to Miami and there was nothing he could say to change her mind. I eased the tension in her mind and added my voice to his, but nothing worked.

I couldn't even change her mind because the entire family would be up in arms within the week. I agreed in the end to go home. I offered my bed to Mom that night and after dinner, which she thought we all ate, but only she did, courtesy of my abilities, she went to bed. I made sure she would sleep until morning.

Esme and Rosalie were all for packing up and disappearing, but I refused to allow it. Nothing I did to her mind was going to make her forget this. I found that if I tampered with a memory often enough, it would lose its effectiveness. She wouldn't believe it.

They were concerned about the sun. It would expose me they said. I told them about the times I'd been in public in the sun. I could either fool the minds around me, or I could use the spray paint I had come up with. It worked like spray tanning, a coat would last for a week and covered up the sparkle. I could even mimic a tan. Water eventually washed it away, so no pools or beach.

I wore them down and impressed upon the need to do this. I was terrified. It was hard enough to be around humans at school, and to be around them when I got home was going to be worse. But there was no way out except to disappear and I wasn't about to make exiles of my family.

Carlisle agreed to buy a house in Miami and the family would move there. The next morning, I packed my bags and boarded a plane to Miami. I was going home.


	5. Chapter 5

A New Vampire 5

By Rei Edogawa

I didn't breathe much on the flight home. Mom realized my need for silence and didn't bother me. She smiled though the whole way. It was a long flight.

We landed in Miami International and was welcomed the second we got off the plane by the entire extended family. I was not prepared for this. I looked into Mom's head and found that she hoped so many happy and familiar faces would jog my memory. She didn't even tell them about my amnesia. She was in for a surprise.

I acted terrified and confused as they swarmed me and tried to back away. They all became hurt and upset and I told them, "Who are you? I don't know you."

They all turned to my mother who looked upset. She then made it into a big joke, "He has amnesia everyone." That's when the cat went among the canaries.

They all began to ask her questions and yell at her. I slipped away to the side and watched it unfold. Eventually they remembered me and were contrite. They showed extreme gentleness and love as they told me who they were. My aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents were all there.

I told them, "Don't expect me to remember all of your names. This is the first time meeting you, after all."

They all laughed and ushered me to the car after getting our luggage. To my chagrin, they had a pool party waiting for me when we got home. I couldn't go in the water. The paint would wash away. So I gently pushed their minds from getting me in the water.

I was always surrounded by people. Neighbors and friends turned up to welcome me back and I would have been overwhelmed if I really had been an amnesiac human. I had to do a whammy on Jade, our dog, when she first caught wind of me. She was going hysterical because she could tell I was dangerous.

They thought she was just excited to see me, so they let her go and she went to attack me. But by the time she reached me I had control of her mind and was speaking to her mentally. People thought animals were stupid and didn't know anything. I knew better and used it to my advantage. I made sure she knew that no matter what she smelled I wasn't going to hurt anyone.

She knew me enough to have a wary trust. She let me pet her and soon she was genuinely happy to see me, but she would always be uneasy. I loved this dog for her faith and love.

They all made much of my new clothes and style. They were shocked that I was wearing Armani and Dolce and Gabbana. Some of the cousins made off with several pairs of sunglasses. I laid the groundwork in their minds to ignore many strange things about me. I had no desire to constantly watch their minds around me for them to notice dangerous things.

It was late when they all went home. I mentally suggested that everyone go to bed and sleep. As soon as they were asleep, I took off. All that mental work left me exhausted and the last few hours were torturous. I wanted to feed. I needed to feed.

I took off into the everglades and found several deer. They fulfilled that particular need and I left the carcasses for the vultures.

I made it home as the sun came up. Stealthily I made my way to my bed and lay there until the family started to get up. Mom and Dad had divorced years ago, so there was only me, my brother, and sister living in the house. I was the eldest, my sister, Sara was the middle, and Jamie was the youngest.

I marveled at how big they had gotten, how they had changed. My human memories were duller and less there than my new vampire ones.

That day was Saturday. I was going to start school on Monday. A way for me to build a base of normalcy was to drop right in on a routine. It would distract me from my thirst and help me move on. Carlisle and the others were looking for a house and would move down within the month. Alice and Jasper were coming down this week to get an apartment until then to keep an eye on me. I was still young, still a danger, but I had control. I could do this. I would do this.


	6. Chapter 6

A New Vampire 6

By Rei Edogawa

Since it was Saturday and I had lots to do to get ready, I went shopping. I needed lighter clothes to match the weather. I could get away with pants most of the time, but long sleeves in this heat would not do. I also needed a car.

I wanted to make a statement at school so I went high class. I bought a Mercedes Cabriolet in hot red. Rosalie would love it when she saw it. I had it licensed to Nick Cullen and insured under our plan. I then drove downtown and bought new clothes. They were lighter and looked great on me. Alice would not like them because she favored designer clothes. That was not going to work here. I just had to graduate High School and then I could leave.

I expected jealousy when I got home. I didn't expect mom to get so mad. She didn't know where I got the money and when I told her the Cullen's had given it to me, she blew her top. She said that I shouldn't rely on them, that I should be looking to family.

I told her that they were the only family I knew. She became even angrier then. I couldn't take the pressure so I altered her mind. She went off in a puff and I went to my room. Jamie and Sara were equally unhappy about the new car and clothes. I made up my mind to make it up to them.

The next day I made sure mom would dismiss it when I came home with more things. I took Sara and Jamie out and bought them new clothes. I also made sure they had whatever they needed. Sara bought lots of everything, clothes, shoes, and makeup. Jamie bought a few outfits and was done.

I took them to the apple store and bought them both iPad, mac books, and iPhone. They were happy when we got home. I spent well over twenty grand on both of them that day. As I set it up, mom completely ignored what I bought.

I spent the rest of the day relaxing. All this mind magic was draining. I was physically strong, yet mentally exhausted. I was wishing to talk to one of my family, when Alice called.

She and I talked for a while and after we hung up I felt better. They would be in town soon and I would be supported, not alone.

Another night spent sleepless in bed. Vampires don't sleep of course, so it was boring staring at the ceiling all night. I'd never get how Edward was able to just lay there and watch Bella sleep all those years. Finally I watched my family's dreams.

Jamie, who now had to share a room with me again, was dreaming about this girl he had met last week. It was an explicit dream so I quickly left. Mom was dreaming about fame and fortune. That was why she was so upset about the car and clothes. She wanted them for herself. If I had looked into her mind when she saw my black American Express Card, she probably had thoughts of taking it.

Sara was another problem. Poor girl was having a nightmare. People were chasing her in her dream, calling her names. I couldn't have that. So I gave her a new one. It was a dream of happiness. She lay beneath a tree beside a lake while several children played around her. It was a life of peace.

The night was only half over and I was going stir crazy, so I went for a run. There is nothing like running through the deserted streets when no one can see you. The world is frozen around you and everything is amazing. Water flying from a sprinkler, frozen in midair. A cat climbing down from a fence, poised in mid leap. Life seemed so uncomplicated.

When I stopped, I was in front of my school. The one I had left last year. I wondered what had changed. About the few friends I had accumulated there. It was going to be difficult, keeping with this charade, but it would keep us safe.

As I made my way home, I felt restless and edgy. Tomorrow I would begin my greatest act that I would ever have to perform. It would be an act that I would have to live with, and live with the consequences if I failed.


	7. Chapter 7

A New Vampire 7

By Rei Edogawa

Another breakfast that I had to sit through and stare at with no appetite. I was glad I had fed the other night, but staring at this food turned my stomach. Even now the thirst burned in my throat. The thirst for human blood.

I felt like the thirst had lessened somewhat, now that I was exposed to the scent continuously. It had to be like sensory adaptation, where the senses got so used to what they were experiencing that it no longer affected them. I hoped so. It would make this a lot simpler if it did.

After breakfast, we all piled into my car and took off for school. Mom followed behind in her beat up Ford. Jamie and Sara went to class right when we got to school. Mom took me into the office. After a long morning meeting with the principal and guidance counselors, all of whom remembered me and had deep sympathy for me, it was decided that I would undergo testing that afternoon to determine how much schooling I remembered.

During lunch, I sat in a corner in the cafeteria, watching and listening. Teachers and students alike were curious about me. Most of my teachers, those who weren't on duty were called into a meeting where they were informed of my problem. I ignored all the stares. The principal himself would make an announcement later to all the students. I hoped to be spared that because I knew tomorrow the questioning would begin.

That afternoon, I secluded myself in a library study room and undertook the aptitude tests. I plugged in my iPod and jammed out while answering the questions. I didn't hear the announcement, but I picked up the students' thoughts. It became an uproar. I was the missing student whose memories were still missing. The irony was not lost on me.

The tests were really easy. Even if I didn't remember all that I had learned, it was all around me for me to take. Even the librarian knew enough to help me pass. I finished the tests in record time and sat there making it look like I was still taking it. Instead my mind wandered from student to student, helping one here and there. Those who I felt deserved it.

Then there was the bitch of the school, Nina. She was a junior like me and head of the cheerleaders. Cliché, I know, but there it is. She and I never got along when I was a sophomore. She and her clique often made me the butt of her witty words. She was standing in front of class giving a speech. I couldn't resist. I made her fumble several times, lose her train of thought, and made her say the wrong words.

By the end of it, she was completely embarrassed and I was happy. Also in the class I noticed was an old friend of mine, Izzy. Izzy and I had been friends since elementary school. Apparently she took my disappearance harder than I thought. She looked a wreck and with my return had her completely distracted.

She was up next. Strangely enough for her speech, she chose to explain how x-ray machines worked. I knew enough from Carlisle to help her out. She was completely unprepared. I took over for her. I made the speech for her in great detail. She never knew that I did it for her. When she sat down, she was proud of herself. I hoped it would boost her self-confidence enough to give her a push in the right direction.

When the bell rang for everyone to go home, I turned in my test and met Sara and Jamie in the parking lot next to the Mercedes. We got in and headed home. Tomorrow morning, I would have the results of my exams and then get my new schedule.

Suddenly, I didn't want to go home and spend another night staring at the ceiling. I asked Jamie and Sara if they had a lot of homework, which they didn't. So I said, we're going out.

I took them to the movies and we watched the latest Hobbit movie. Then I took them to eat dinner and walk around the promenade. We windowed shopped for a while, and I ignored Sara's hints to buy her jewelry. I did buy a new kindle for me and added some new books. My old one was full.

We eventually went home. Mom was unhappy when I texted her earlier, and now she was still upset. I was really going to have to find out the problem and fix it. Her continuous disapproval of me was getting on my nerves, and while she kept her thoughts to herself, she couldn't keep them from me.

She was going to ask me tonight to accompany her to her church this Wednesday. Apparently it was her deal with God to make good Christians of her children if I returned. I had no problem going with her, but church now held little meaning for me. Eternal life left no afterlife for me, unless I was torn apart and burned by another vampire or a werewolf.

She eventually gathered her courage and asked, and I willingly agreed. Sara and Jamie made looks of dismay when the subject was brought up, but whatever thoughts they had were gone in a flash and they did not think them again. _This does not bode well,_ I thought.

That night while everyone slept, I went probing. Mom had confused and jumbled memories. I found that after I disappeared, she spent some time in a depressed daze. One day she found the faith that I would return. That faith kept her looking long after the police gave up looking. She had been so happy to find me, but so disappointed when I didn't know her.

Her anger came from those feelings. She wanted her son back, but what she got was a stranger in her son's skin. I didn't know what to do for her. What I was, was never my choice. The lies were to protect her from the things that she couldn't know about and she could never, ever face the monster behind the mask.

I waited till morning and was up before anyone else. I made breakfast for everyone that morning. I didn't know if I got it right until I saw Jamie's face as he ate it. The eggs and pancakes looked good to me, but I had no desire to eat it, nor could I.

That morning, mom decided to have freshly sliced bread with her eggs. I should have done it for her. She sliced her hand wide open. The scent of her blood in the air nearly sent me over the edge. I froze in place, refusing to breathe or even look at it. The monster inside me welled up and wanted it so bad.

The thought of satiating my thirst with human blood would not, could not leave. I barely noticed Sara and Jamie running about binding her wound. All I could focus on was the blood. I turned to my mother. I was losing control. I was so, so, so THIRSTY!


	8. Chapter 8

A New Vampire 8

By Rei Edogawa

There is no describing what was going through me. The desire to feed was overwhelming, but even then as the monster took over, the human side I had cultivated for the past year was doing battle. I've met vampires who have believed that to be human is to be weak.

That day, in that minute that lasted eternity, I knew otherwise. Humans may be physically weak, but mentally and emotionally they are the strongest creatures in the world. It is why they became the dominant species of the world. The human inside me did not want to be a murderer. It fought a war that seemed to have no end and it never fought harder than it did now. If the monster was unleashed, then everyone in the house would perish.

Slowly, I became myself again. The human in me was able to keep the monster at bay, but it couldn't do it forever. I had just enough time. I gave the keys to Jamie, who had passed his driver's test a few months earlier and told him I'd meet him at school.

I ran faster than ever before. I was through the city in seconds and back into the wilds of the everglades. I used every sense I had to find an animal. I found a panther and attacked without thinking. The panther tried to fight back but couldn't even touch me as I sank my teeth into his neck. I had him drained within minutes and was off again. I bagged the deer the panther had been hunting and drank them dry too.

Quickly I disposed of my meal and ran back to the city. My clothes had been untouched by claws or blood, thankfully. I was in front of the office with minutes to spare and I quickly got freshened up. I entered the office with my head held high, more myself than I had been when I arrived in Miami.

As expected, I placed high on the aptitude tests, testing out of basic and honors and into advanced. Six of the seven courses were advanced, meaning at the end of my junior year I could graduate. Before heading to my first new class, I got a text from Alice. She and Jasper had just taken off from Atlanta. They had been traveling since last night. They would be here in a few hours.

Today was shaping up to be better than it had started. I decided then and there that I wasn't going to let the person I was affect the person I'd become. I had proven to myself this very morning that I had an inner strength that I never had or realized I had before.

I walked with new confidence. People stared as I walked. It was no wonder. I was dressed and looked like a supermodel. They had all seen me yesterday in a brand new Mercedes. The stories about me had been crazy since the announcement of my return yesterday and today I was obviously a different person.

As I sat down in my English class, I never felt better or in more control. The rest of the day passed by in a sense of euphoria. Calculus, Spanish, Chemistry, History, and Physics were all easy for my brain. It was the mandatory PE class that gave me issues. I had to constantly remind myself to hold back. I became the favorite of all my teachers and I knew they were expecting an airhead.

I explained that my amnesia is memory only, not talent and I had spent the last year learning all I could. The only bad thing is that five of the classes had Nina in them. She wasted no time targeting me. Several times she made me the brunt of her jokes and snide remarks. She hadn't changed.

Several of my old friends reintroduced themselves to me. The explained who they were and how we had met. Several strangers also tried to integrate themselves as my girlfriend, but I came up with inventive ways to get rid of them, like I didn't want them to waste their time pining after me. I was spending my time finding out who I was. I didn't have time for a relationship. It worked every time.

We went home after school and that night and I had a message from Alice and Jasper. They had landed in Miami and were staying at the Hilton's penthouse suite. I immediately left the house and drove downtown.

Alice and Jasper were waiting for me at the door. They were happy to see me as Alice had seen me eating my family, but couldn't warn me in time. Jasper was impressed that I had kept myself in check. We ended up talking late into the night. That is the problem with being a vampire, you didn't get sleepy so time can pass you by.

When I realized it was after two, I panicked and rushed home. Mom was waiting for me. She yelled at me for over twenty minutes, until I couldn't take it anymore. She was more upset that I was with Alice and Jasper than anything else. I used my power to send her to sleep. Then I erased the whole thing from her head, and Sara and Jamie's as well for good measure.

I then spent the rest of the night contemplating what I was doing. I was using my gift too much, abusing it in many circumstances. Like Edward, I couldn't help hearing what I did, but the constant changes, while in some cases were necessary, were shaping a reality that didn't exist. One that I believed should be.

It gave me great concern that I had this kind of gift. I could remake reality around me, by altering the minds of people. If I kept at it, how long would it take for me to alter the Cullen's minds? The very people that took me in and saved me from myself. I needed to speak to Carlisle. I needed his opinion and no matter what had to accept what he said. I needed someone to give me an unbiased view. Or I would just be living a fantasy for eternity. And that was something I couldn't live with.


	9. Chapter 9

A New Vampire 9

By Rei Edogawa

Mom was super upset by our refusal to get blessed by Father Alex. I was adamant about it. I may have my own problems with potential homicidal tendencies due to extreme thirst, but this was my problem and I accepted the cost. If i just let my conscience go, then I wouldn't feel the things i feel. And then I wouldn't be who i was.

There was a learning curve to this and the death on my head already was more than enough. No amount of prayers could lift that from me. I didn't even want it to. It reminded me of what I was working for. The fact that I could live with my human family and not kill them was miracle enough for me and totally worth it.

Time passed on. Months passed and life changes. The rest of the Cullens moved down and started their lives over again. This time they adopted the name Hale and set up shop. I had to change the memories of Mom, Sara, and Jamie so they wouldn't be suspicious.

I had a long time to think and had several talks with Carlisle. I finally came to a decision not to use my gifts as much. I couldn't alter minds and expect them to have free will. They had the right to their emotions and choices. I would also stop listening in to thoughts of specific people.

Generally I couldn't tune it out. It was a blur of voices in my mind like standing in a room of people and all of them talking at once. It was only when I focused that i could discern more than random thoughts and words. My range was several miles when I focused. I could easily reach across town to talk to whomever I wanted, but altering required closer proximity.

So I wouldn't use my gift except in extreme emergency, when it was unavoidable. So I began to slowly change myself. I had to compromise with my human family more than ever.

So months passed and After the new year, I found myself with a large problem. One none of us saw coming, not even Alice.

It was during the last days of winter break. Mom and Jamie had gone down to the mall to spend some of the gift cards they had gotten for christmas. Sara was not feeling well so I stayed behind with her.

We were talking about school and the problems she was having, when the sound in the room changed in my sensitive ears. A second much faster heartbeat filled the room. It was coming from Sara.

I needed to know, so I skimmed her memories. She didn't know, but she and her boyfriend had been sleeping around since before Thanksgiving. I couldn't say anything, so i waited patiently for her to realize something was wrong. It was mid February before she came to me in tears.

"Nico," she said. "I need your help. I think I'm pregnant."

I comforted her. I promised I would be there for her no matter what. She was my sister. I had Rosalie buy a pregnancy test and she took it at the new house that we purchased outside the city. It came back positive.

She cried. She wasnt ready to be a mother. We all promised to be there for her, no matter her choice. I had taken Rosalie aside beforehand and told her that no matter what Sara chose, whether to keep it, give it up or abort it, she would support her wholeheartedly or i would let her have it. It didn't take much but she agreed.

It took her some time but in the end she decided to keep it. We went to tell Jamie and Mom at the same time. As can be expected, she was not happy. She was adamant that Sara should go away until the baby was born and then she would give it up. Her christian faith refused to contemplate abortion or keeping it.

Jamie was behind his sister 100%. She was his twin. There were some binds that could not be broken.

"SHE WILL GIVE UP THAT CHILD, BECAUSE I AM HER MOTHER AND I SAY WHAT GOES!" Mom yelled. "I SUPPORT HER AND TAKE CARE OF HER. THEN SHE GOES AND DISGRACES US ALL BY SPREADING HER LEGS FOR ANY MAN WHO WOULD HAVE HER. SHE IS GIVING THAT BABY UP OR SHE IS OUT!"

I calmly said, "You cannot force her to give it up, nor can you force her to do anything. It is her decision and I will help her."

"You cannot help her." she snarled. "What money do you have? Those Hales are in Washington and they aren't going to support you forever. You aren't part of their family and they don't love you. They just felt sorry for you and your so-called amnesia. How long will it last?"

"Longer than you think. I have accounts is several banks in my name that have 50 million easy. You have no clue how rich they are, nor should it matter. I understand what you went through when I disappeared. I truly lost myself then. I have tried to piece the puzzle together and rediscover who I was.

"My so-called amnesia is real. If you can't believe that then maybe I should have stayed in Washington. However, the Hales do care about me. They moved down here to support me and make sure I was alright. All of them. You have no right to judge them, me, or Sara. And you can take your high-handed ideals and stuff them."

She tried to hit me. I caught her arm in mid-air before she could touch me.

"If you don't want to support her anymore, I can do so easily." I said. " I will support both of my siblings and my niece or nephew. You don't have to worry about us anymore.

"Jamie, you can decide for yourself. You can stay with Mom, or come with us. No matter what you decide you will always be welcome wherever we call home."

With that Sara and I went to pack, but mom yelled, "You have no right to anything in that room. If you leave, you leave with the clothes on your back and nothing else."

I picked up my keys and said, "The car is in my name. Try to take it and I have no problem having the police decide what to do."

With that the three of us walked out the front door with Jade following and didn't look back.


End file.
